Great Fire of Newcastle and Gateshead


On Friday 6 October 1854 a fire broke out in Gateshead. This fire slowly spread, eventually reaching a warehouse containing explosive materials. The fire then spread to Newcastle. 

Make your own actions and sounds to retell the story of the Great Fire with the help of our Talk for Writing Resource. You might also want to use these instructions to help you with this activity. 

Use our puppet templates to create your own characters.

Can you campaign for the Victorian Fire Brigade?  

Help John Dobson rebuild Newcastle.

Write a newspaper article all about the disaster. 

Imagine you are living in Newcastle during the Great Fire. What decisions will you make?